Pope beseeches world leaders to protect the environment at United Nations General Assembly
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Pope Francis declared Friday that there is a "right of the environment" and that mankind has no authority to abuse it, telling more than 100 world leaders and diplomats at the United Nations that urgent action is needed to halt the destruction of God's creation.
Hoping to spur concrete commitments at upcoming climate change negotiations in Paris, Francis accused the world's powerful countries of indulging a "selfish and boundless thirst" for money by ravaging the planet's natural resources and impoverishing the weak and disadvantaged in the process.
Pope Francis on protecting the environment:
He asserted that the poor have inherent rights to education and what he has termed the "three L's" - lodging, labor and land.
Francis' speech, the fifth by a pope to the U.N., was a distillation of his recent teaching document on the environment, "Praise Be," which has delighted liberals and environmentalists and drawn scorn from big business interests.
Pope Francis on Iran:
By bringing the document to life before the U.N., Francis made clear his priorities. "Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity," he said.
Before the address, Pope Francis thanked United Nations employees for work he said makes "possible many of the diplomatic, cultural, economic and political initiatives" of the world body. Speaking to about 400 staffers in the lobby of the U.N.'s New York headquarters on Friday, the pope praised the contributions of everyone from officials to cooks, fieldworkers to maintenance workers.
He encouraged them all to "be close to one another, respect one another" and embody the U.N.'s ideals of a united human family working for peace and in peace.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed Pope Francis to the United Nations, saying many draw inspiration from his "humility and humanity." He cited his call for global action on social justice, climate change and quality of life and dignity for all. "Thank you for your spiritual guidance ... and love for humanity."
The pope's busy schedule Friday reflected both his global stature and his of-the-people approach, while taking him from the solemnity of ground zero to the struggles of East Harlem. It included events as large as a processional drive through Central Park, as personal as meeting schoolchildren and immigrants, and as inspiring for the faithful as Mass for thousands in the Madison Square Garden arena.
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The pope headed next to the 9/11 memorial, where two waterfall pools mark the outlines of the World Trade Center's twin towers before they were felled by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He met with relatives of some of the nearly 3,000 victims before heading below ground to the National Sept. 11 Museum for an interfaith service.
He moved on to visit Our Lady Queen of Angels School, set amid public housing in the heavily Hispanic neighborhood of East Harlem. Known for ministering to the downtrodden in his native Buenos Aires, Francis met schoolchildren and offered a special blessing to refugees and immigrants, including people living in the country illegally. He was greeted like a rock star by the children and shook hands and blessed them while the kids snapped pictures and cheered.
Text of Pope Francis' speech:
Then he greeted as many as 80,000 onlookers as he drove through Central Park, en route to Mass for 18,000 at Madison Square Garden. You can watch the pope's complete homily from Madison Square Garden HERE.
Francis wraps up his U.S. visit this weekend in Philadelphia, where he speaks in front of Independence Hall and celebrates Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to close out a big Catholic families rally.
Photos of Pope Francis at the United Nations:
Pope Francis on respect for human life:
